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Where triathlon meets real talk. Hosted by two seasoned triathletes Lockie Jones and Lleyton Wall, this podcast takes a deep dive into the controversies, challenges, and triumphs of the triathlete world.
00;00;05;23 - 00;00;09;15
Speaker 1
She goes in front would help the younger.
00;00;09;18 - 00;00;11;05
Speaker 2
Beyonce have courage.
00;00;11;08 - 00;00;14;16
Speaker 1
Unbelievable. There's nothing but.
00;00;14;19 - 00;00;15;20
Speaker 2
Racer, man.
00;00;15;26 - 00;00;19;18
Speaker 1
World championship title.
00;00;19;20 - 00;00;40;08
Speaker 1
And we are back for another World championship week this week. A little bit longer than what we're used to. It is Ironman world jams and we are back in Kona. It's back. Both men and women in Kona. That's exciting. Before we get into it. Lucky. How is your weekend? Haven't actually introduced. This is the unfunded podcast episode, I don't know.
00;00;40;10 - 00;00;56;28
Speaker 1
I feel like people. It's absurd. 60, by the way, for this season. I don't know, for this season. Oh, but episode 60 total. Wow, that's pretty cool. We're gonna have to do something cool for episode 100. Yeah, when we get there, I'm getting a year. Getting way to ahead of myself with that, but. Oh, I'm so 60.
00;00;57;00 - 00;01;16;05
Speaker 1
That's pretty cool. Well, who would have thought a lot of times when we gave up there? But I know even though we might have four listeners, we are still going to keep going with our for trusty four. That's good. But now weekend weekend was good. It was a big weekend. Big weekend? Yes, it was my, Is it belated?
00;01;16;06 - 00;01;35;26
Speaker 1
Yeah. Belated birthday. Belated birthday bash. So yes, I, I just wish I was better at drinking. You know, like, I just, we get to. I just get so tired. I get so tired. Went home a little bit. I did, I was my own birthday party and I was the first one to go home. Yeah. You were. That's actually.
00;01;35;27 - 00;01;54;18
Speaker 1
Yeah. Quite embarrassing. You know what that is? It's because you're getting old. Okay. 26. Didn't have to take it there. Yeah, 26 is starting to get a bit serious. It's a serious age. You can see the grays. No, that's that's just the, dandruff at the moment. Because my skin so dry from from the surgery the last couple of weeks.
00;01;54;20 - 00;02;11;04
Speaker 1
But, yeah, grays will probably start popping out soon, but, no, it was fun. Had a really fun. All my friends came together. We had a nice. Nice lunch, which I was actually kind of already pretty, pretty drunk for when I got there, so I just started way too early. Honestly. Started to early to birthday. Yeah.
00;02;11;05 - 00;02;31;19
Speaker 1
Got excited and then just crashed. So, But it was fun. We had. It was a really fun, probably six hours that I was up and about four. But it's just hard to pick yourself up the next day. I just hangovers suck. Yeah, I, I was a bit tired as well. Oh, I think it's the late nights, to be honest.
00;02;31;20 - 00;02;52;07
Speaker 1
But it wasn't that late. Yeah. 12:00. Where'd you go? Home. Oh, just before got home. Like bang on 12. I was in bed. Oh, so you stayed a bit longer than me? Yeah. Yeah. I thought you were going home right after. No, no, we stayed for a bit. Oh, because it was my roommate's birthday the next day. And he was like, oh, you gotta say to my birthday.
00;02;52;12 - 00;03;09;21
Speaker 1
I'm just so adamant that once. So for me, once I flipped the switch and I'm like, yeah, I'm done with tonight. There's no pulling me back out. Like, I'm. I'm done. Like, if I'm done. See you later. Convinced me next time to stay out longer, but not happening. But that was fun. Yeah, it was fun. It was a good, fun weekend.
00;03;09;21 - 00;03;30;11
Speaker 1
So let's, do it again next year. Yep. And you'll be 27. That's getting a bit too old. Yeah. That's old. Come on, man. At least I always like this saying it could be worse. It could be yeon's age. Yeah, it was just two years older. Yeah, these 28 could be worse. Yeah. Could be worse. That's true. Anyway, this is.
00;03;30;14 - 00;03;52;15
Speaker 1
I feel like this is definitely a you kind of episode. You're you're definitely our our in-house long course specialist. Yeah. I do really like the big stuff. I like this, I like 70.3 niece, and I definitely like it a bit more. I mean, maybe it's just because, again, we just said it a little bit older in the sport now.
00;03;52;16 - 00;04;10;23
Speaker 1
Been in the sport a little bit longer. We're seeing some of the short course guys transition a little bit earlier into the long course. So the dynamics are changing constantly. Yeah. But code is going to be no different this week. We're going to see probably a race that we've not seen before. It's going to be a spectacle.
00;04;10;25 - 00;04;33;27
Speaker 1
It will be. And it's back in Kona. Importantly, I think that's the big one. It went away to nice and I don't know where else it went, like Saint George in America. I think we feel as if it's the spiritual home of triathlon, especially long course triathlon. So it's just like. And as you said, yet the dynamics changed so vastly in the last.
00;04;34;00 - 00;04;53;15
Speaker 1
You know, ten years, because you had that era of the Uber bikers, the ones that really couldn't swim. And now you pretty much have, like this Olympic insurgents into the racing, which it spice it up dramatically. And you can't have a I mean it's it shows across the whole of trough on but you can't have a weak link.
00;04;53;16 - 00;05;15;26
Speaker 1
Yeah. Have a weak sport. It's definitely becoming that sport where it's no longer like a new sport. We are starting to get, you know, we've got the heritage, we've got some history now where you're getting athletes that are coming in not from a running back ground or a swimming background like you saw, you know, back in the day that these guys have been training to be triathletes since they've started competitive sport.
00;05;15;27 - 00;05;36;12
Speaker 1
Yeah. So we're seeing those whole triathletes that can swim really well, ride really well and can run with the best of them. But yeah, like like you just said, super exciting to see it back in Kona last time we've seen both back in back in Kona was 2019. So before Covid. So, you know, like you said, we had that little stint in 2020.
00;05;36;14 - 00;05;54;17
Speaker 1
2020 was obviously canceled due to Covid. 2021 we were in Saint George. But then it was it was in Kona in 2022, but it was held in separate days, held over two separate days. So first time we were back same weekend. Yeah. So that's it. It's good to have back and I'm glad that I men have done this.
00;05;54;20 - 00;06;15;12
Speaker 1
They've they've seen that the split gender racing. It just doesn't get as much hype on either side. It doesn't matter what one you're more interested in. It just doesn't get as much hype. I think you need it on the same weekend. And we've said this about T100. That's where they fall down. Really? Oh, who's calling you? Sorry, mate.
00;06;15;13 - 00;06;38;25
Speaker 1
Sorry. Oh my God. We're in a podcast. That's being unprofessional. No, sorry about gender racing. So it's good to be back all on one day. I think that's what you need for the sport. It was always meant to be equal. And at the same time. So do you think they play on each other? Do you personally think in your opinion is kind of the biggest race in triathlon?
00;06;38;28 - 00;07;04;23
Speaker 1
I think besides the Olympics it is the biggest one of the year. So. I of the year? Yes. Okay. I think every year Conor's the one. But when the Olympics roll around it's equal. Conor. And Oh you reckon it's equal. So I'm just pretty. It's. Oh, I'm just something about the Olympics. Only once every four years. You have to be on on that day.
00;07;04;23 - 00;07;25;28
Speaker 1
So there's what, 12,000 or 1200 days in that Olympic period? Yeah. Give or take, however many. Yeah. And you have to be on for that day, which is pretty special. Yeah. But here it's once every 365. Yeah, a little bit different. You have, you have a few more shots to hit Conor. But then it also shows that dominance over an error.
00;07;26;03 - 00;07;48;25
Speaker 1
I would say I would say it's the most iconic. Yeah I would probably say like just also again not even being that as interested in long coursing as what I am in the short course, I would definitely say, you know, the hype around a corner makes it the most iconic. Yeah, I still do believe the Olympic distance is.
00;07;48;28 - 00;08;19;04
Speaker 1
Yeah. I mean, it's such a controversial opinion. It's like, what way do you go? Where did you start? Yeah. In triathlon. Exactly. What was your first memory? So, like, I love the memories. And you probably don't have, like, many Conor, memories per se. Yours is more like watching the Olympics or different things like that. Yeah, well, I think even Jamie Riddell said it when he transitioned into, when he transitioned into long course, he sort of said, you know, everybody thinks that, the Olympics is the pinnacle.
00;08;19;05 - 00;08;42;18
Speaker 1
But my first memory of triathlon was watching long course guys was watching Conor. Yeah. So that is where I want to transition to. And that's like my big goal where yeah, I don't know. For me, it was 2020 2012. Brownlee brothers watch the World Series. Like that was for me. Yeah. See like and my first kind of introduction to triathlon was my town has an Ironman every next weekend.
00;08;42;20 - 00;09;09;03
Speaker 1
So are you going down? I'll be there. Oh, nice. I don't think I can get down. Unfortunately, I have exams either side of the weekend. Oh, my man, I know I'm actually devastated. Anyway, because it's going to be a great race. I digress. Okay. But I think, like, one of my first memories would be like, you know, watching the Kona media hype, they kind of started only really going to trifling in 2015, 2016.
00;09;09;04 - 00;09;31;05
Speaker 1
Yeah. So what, ten, ten years ago now? And that's kind of when like the YouTube and the media within triathlon kind of boomed like people were trying to figure out how to maybe monetize themselves as athletes a little bit more like, you know, you had guys that were probably better, you know, they were kind of breakthrough guys in that era.
00;09;31;09 - 00;09;53;05
Speaker 1
Chris McCormack was definitely someone that was, you know, very good at marketing himself in a time where that was sort of seen to be quite hard. Yeah. But another one that I know you're about to mention is the Lionel Messi and, like, Lionel Sanders videos over that era of like, 2015 to about 2019. Yeah. We're unmatched, like vlog style.
00;09;53;06 - 00;10;21;04
Speaker 1
Yeah. Vlog style stuff. And you see now like Talbot Cox and what he's doing with pro try and and it's kind of paved the path for them right now is what he did and started that content creation around this athletes. You know week before Conor you got millions of views at the time. Yeah. And you see now Iron Man is pretty much taken that exact same way that the videos are formatted like it wakes up and it like, wakes up at his house.
00;10;21;06 - 00;10;48;11
Speaker 1
Yeah, they do exactly the same right now with, good stuff. Eden and Christian Bloomfield and, Taylor Knibb, like the the marketing. All of the pros right now, Iron Man themselves. But that started with an independent channel in Talbot running Lionel's, YouTube channel. Well, people want to see, I think people that look up to, you know, the Lionel Sanders, the Christian Bloomfield's Gustav and Taylor nibs like they want to see.
00;10;48;13 - 00;11;07;11
Speaker 1
They want to peek behind the curtain. They want to see what are they doing? How are they? You're waking up in the morning eating their breakfast. What are they talking about before? I mean, and it helps, obviously, when you've got a Lionel Sanders personality. It's just. That was very up and down. Rogue. Yeah, you're quite rogue, which is great personality for television.
00;11;07;12 - 00;11;28;01
Speaker 1
YouTube. Yeah. Whatever. Entertainment. It's entertainment. I mean, Christian and Gustav leaning into it at the moment. You even see like I mean, I, Jamie Rule did a really good job bringing that into short course stuff where almost a new era of Instagram and Instagram Reels. In my opinion, Jamie was the first one to really do that raw content on the short course side, and that's paid off massively.
00;11;28;02 - 00;11;44;23
Speaker 1
He's now transitioning into like the long form and now he's yeah, doing the long form stuff in the long form, you know, triathlon world. Yeah. Which is pretty cool. You even see like a and I know we're probably just listening people that have got great social media pages. But Sam Laidlaw bringing in like almost the humor of it.
00;11;44;24 - 00;12;01;28
Speaker 1
Like he's able to like he's feud with Christian Blumenfeld where he's like riding one leg, saying, I'm riding at Bloomfield's power. Like that sort of stuff's just funny. Like, it's just that's that's that's sort of athlete personality that people want to see. Exactly. To be able to bring that to life through the media coverage is really cool. Yeah.
00;12;01;29 - 00;12;28;26
Speaker 1
And I think from what I'm trying to get at is Conor is where all of this started. Yeah, I think Conor was that pinnacle race that drew me, drew, mainstream media attention. Yes. But then also helped evolve what triathlon media is today like. And you can't really have us to sitting here without those guys before us. Like people like you probably don't know him, but.
00;12;28;26 - 00;12;47;23
Speaker 1
Breakfast with Bob. I've heard of him, but I don't really know him. Yeah, and like, I used to love watching that stuff and, you know, Lionel Sanders. But what they've done, like, before, and maybe they're not, as you know, relevant in today's star and age. Like someone like breakfast with Bob is a bit old school. Maybe that age group is really love him like the real old school ones.
00;12;47;25 - 00;13;04;21
Speaker 1
But now you have the pro tri news. I mean, they just set up that they got over there. It's amazing. It's so crazy. It's like it's the I mean, from the little bit that I've seen of breakfast with Bob, it's the modern version of that. Oh, 100%. Yeah. Which is cool. Their set up is just unreal. It's it's actually a lake and it's really cool.
00;13;04;21 - 00;13;26;06
Speaker 1
I think for people who are kind of in the triathlon media now, which is hard. Weird to say. Yeah. We dabble. Yeah. Yeah, we dabble in the trough on media. I don't think we really call ourself media. No, I wouldn't we, we tried to get a media pass in some races, but, we got left on knocked on the head of these.
00;13;26;08 - 00;13;51;04
Speaker 1
Yeah. But now it is cool. And I mean, even to being like, obviously the the pro train news guys are really helpful and they're really nice. Like every time we've had an issue or we've had a question they've always been happy to answer. So it's cool to sort of have people in that space who I guess have been able to, you know, I'm sure they probably didn't start out much different to us and take it to the level that they are and continue with that legacy.
00;13;51;05 - 00;14;14;09
Speaker 1
Yeah. And of the sport. Yeah, I think that's the main thing. And like it, it's all, yeah, good for the sport, good for the athletes. Like generating you know more fans, more eyes. So I think it's pretty cool to pay homage to like the media that have made Kona such an iconic event. And I don't think without the media there, it's not as iconic as what it is.
00;14;14;11 - 00;14;42;15
Speaker 1
Yeah, so that's a bit of my take, I think. I think what what Kona has been really good for and even like the storytelling side is like the battles and rivalries over the years. Like there's been some there's been some big ones. I mean, I read. Chris McCormack's book like a couple years ago. And the way that he speaks about Kona and the iron was and just the absolute like battleground that that was, you know, it it does it.
00;14;42;18 - 00;15;06;06
Speaker 1
I don't know, as someone who is just interested in the sport of triathlon in general, obviously there's always going to be that attraction in how you're not necessarily battling athletes there. You're battling the conditions, you're battling yourself, you're battling like the preparation that you've put in. Like it is almost all right, who can just get to the finish line like someone of attrition?
00;15;06;07 - 00;15;27;23
Speaker 1
Yeah I think. Yeah. And as you said, the battles is what makes Kona so iconic. Yeah. It doesn't like we saw it last year. Lucy, Charles Barkley and Taylor. Yeah. They were battling each other. Yeah. Then at the end of the days the conditions. Yeah actually just beat them down. And you know. So I think that's how you say it.
00;15;27;25 - 00;15;48;07
Speaker 1
Norwegian name. Yeah. She goes on to win it. And she was just the one that won the war of attrition on the day. So it's, it's a really cool like storyline to follow throughout the day and the lead in and different things like that. I think that's what makes Kona so iconic and kind of like it's got a mistake to it.
00;15;48;07 - 00;16;10;29
Speaker 1
Like they they always say people that go to Kona has this like this vibe, this feeling. You feel you feel the I don't know why. And, I guess like spirits or whatever it is. So yeah, it's. I'd love to go there one day. I'll tell you. Would it be it'd be an absolute age group of fest like it would be my imagine being one of the pro athletes on that start line.
00;16;11;01 - 00;16;35;17
Speaker 1
Yeah. And it was like niece was insane. Yeah. Like niece was really cool because I mean Europe get around triathlon. But I think over in Kona you're on this island and it's just packed. Yeah. I think like the only thing is like, niece would probably be a bit easier to actually get to. Yeah, sure would be. I mean, I got a flight out of a random African city into niece that night.
00;16;35;19 - 00;16;57;21
Speaker 1
So if you're if you're a real age group frother when there's a will, there's a way. Yeah. Right. Exactly right. You'll get you'll get to the big island. Yeah. Exactly. Have you got any, Have you got any, like, iconic moments from Kona that you're like that to stand out? I think the ones that I probably remember are like the yarn for dino type of days.
00;16;57;21 - 00;17;19;00
Speaker 1
He was just so dominant when he was. Yeah, he when he won I think his third 1 in 2019. I think that was pretty cool and I think that was cool coming from a short course background. Yeah, I think someone that has done it all like an Olympic gold 70.3 words when and then a Kona. It's crazy. It's the trifecta.
00;17;19;01 - 00;17;40;26
Speaker 1
Yeah. Looking looking at his. Well he I mean, I don't know if I want to speak out of turn, but the first person to sort of get that. Yeah. Trifecta. Yeah. Because you look at he won obviously Olympics in 2008. Yeah. And then he got his third Ironman winning Kona in 2019 11 years later like incredible longevity. Yeah.
00;17;40;28 - 00;18;02;24
Speaker 1
So I mean, that was kind of like what I remember growing up. Like it was like a Lionel versus yarn. Yeah. 2016 to 2019 type of era, which was really cool. And like, it was cool because I guess sometimes you could see those people like a cam worth come and race in your hometown. Yeah. And they were top five at Kona and things like that.
00;18;02;24 - 00;18;21;19
Speaker 1
So they were they were the big dogs of the sport at the time and still coming to like your hometown race, which was cool. I mean, looking at like some of the past results, you had a lot of Aussie dominance as well. Like I go through a bit of history. 2007 Chris McCormack 2008 Craig Alexander oh nine Craig Alexander.
00;18;21;21 - 00;18;41;14
Speaker 1
Dozen ten. Chris McCormack 2011 Craig Alexander 2012 Pete Jacobs all Aussies. Yeah. So a seven year run of dominance. Then you had Marina Cafe in there. Have a look at how many she won. 2 or 3 in that era. The same era we got Micheli Jones 2006.
00;18;41;16 - 00;19;08;26
Speaker 1
Miranda Calf right as an intern and 2013 and 14. Yeah. So there you are. Aussie dominance back in the day. Yeah. Here's a question for you. So it just spoke about the Aussie men winning from. So he had Chris McCormack Craig Alexander, Pete Jacobs winning six years in a row from 2007 to 2012. Then you've got Sebastian Kennelly yarn for Dino and Patrick Lang, winning six years in a row from 2014 to 2019.
00;19;09;03 - 00;19;39;15
Speaker 1
All right. So Chris McCormack, Craig Alexander, Pete Jacobs versus Sebastian Kennelly, Yan Ferdinand, Patrick Lang, all on Yang bikes, same carbon shoes, three v three. Who you picking the Germans or the Aussie. See I don't know I because I was watching in the era of that German dominance. Yeah that's what I kind of grew up watching. I'm gonna say the Germans were probably better, but I know the tech and everything's completely different.
00;19;39;18 - 00;19;58;12
Speaker 1
So that's that's the hard one. Just just like kind of knowing I get I mean, you, you know, you know, you're always going to have a Christmas combat. Just go. Yeah. Maybe we would have smoked him. Well, I think they were hard asses back in the day. They were hard asses back in the day. But then you can't turn whether the Germans also weren't exactly.
00;19;58;13 - 00;20;19;00
Speaker 1
You can't. I mean, we've heard from our coaches, David Daniel Unger that, like John for Dino, was just a hard ass of his own. Yeah. So, I mean, you can't not you can't not be that good and not be a hard ass, especially if the Ironman distance, like, eight racing for eight hours is absolutely brutal. Look, I'm just going to say I would I would agree with you.
00;20;19;00 - 00;20;42;10
Speaker 1
I'd probably also say the Germans just because of my knowledge of, I guess both. Well, my limited knowledge of both, I'd probably say they were almost more of a rounded athlete. I know Patrick Lang's got that mental run on him is yeah, he swims. But then Sebastian Kennelly couldn't really swim. Yeah, it's really just young Dino. Yeah, he's probably got the icing on the cake there.
00;20;42;11 - 00;21;05;00
Speaker 1
I think you knows the probably the one that he's done. Yes. The Germans over the big. Yeah okay. I mean it's it's it's it's so cool looking at the past you know, since 2000, I mean, we've got them from 2000 and from 2000 here, and obviously there's so much before that. But looking at these massive names that still hold weight to this day.
00;21;05;01 - 00;21;26;18
Speaker 1
Yeah. Exactly. Right. Yeah. It's kind of where you actually name into that history book, like of legendary Status. Yeah. I feel as if there will be a few short course guys that really have their name etched in history, like, you have a Gwen and you have, you know, the Brownlee brothers. Yeah. But not many people are really thinking about Henry Schuman.
00;21;26;20 - 00;21;54;11
Speaker 1
No. Are they like, he's an Olympic bronze medalist, but world champion, like. Yeah, I know what you mean, but I don't think he's got that, you know, that hype that, you know Pete Jacobs only got one, one world championship there. Yeah, but everyone still knows who Pete Jacobs is. No, you are right. You are right. And I think, like, that's where the weight of a Christian Bloomfield, I mean, he's done the exact same thing is a yarn for dyno.
00;21;54;13 - 00;22;10;15
Speaker 1
That way it's going to carry. Yeah. Exactly a long time. Yeah I mean to go and he did it all in one year, which is like he basically just went, you know, yarn for dinner. I know you did the you know, you did all three as well. But hold my beer. I'll do it all in one year. Yeah.
00;22;10;17 - 00;22;35;09
Speaker 1
She's crazy. Yeah. That is actually is insane. The only asterisks on old Christian Blumenfeld is they never won it in Kona. Yeah, I think that's the difference. That is the the allude to Conor. So hard to win there. There's just something different about winning in Kona compared to any other place in the world. Just on what Christian Bloomfield is doing.
00;22;35;11 - 00;22;59;08
Speaker 1
In Conor at the moment. Have you seen his run sessions that he's been doing? Yeah, he's like pumping out 40 K runs. I'm not sure if he knows, but he's racing soon are. They're just insane. Like, I don't know how you do it. He's doing 40 K runs. He's running. He's basically running a half mile. He's basically running a full marathon in 2.5 hours a week from a race and going, yeah, my start tapering now.
00;22;59;10 - 00;23;26;19
Speaker 1
How quick did you run that. So he's doing he's doing some 10-K efforts. So obviously he's doing some sort of session. He's doing for he did for 10-K efforts. 337333. 35332. Three. 350, sorry. He did 37 KS worth of efforts like doing that. Doing that just once off is insane for a marathon runner. Yeah. And then I'm pretty sure he also did it the week before.
00;23;26;22 - 00;23;49;05
Speaker 1
Yeah, he's a different breed, to be honest. I, I actually have no words for what some of those Iron Man guys do. I think it's so out of our realm of thought and actually is just it's insane, even just for just anyone to get through an Iron Man I think is ridiculous. He has to be so ready.
00;23;49;08 - 00;24;16;02
Speaker 1
Yeah. Like that you would hope, man, if he's doing this and he's not able to don't win. I mean, I I'd bet that's the thing you don't know. That is the allude to Kona. He could be in the lead with two K to go and just capitulate, which is what happened to the women last year. There was also a Sam Laidlaw had a massive it was the 2022 year when Gustav eaten one.
00;24;16;05 - 00;24;30;07
Speaker 1
He had a massive lead off the bike and Gustav passed him with, I don't know how much to go, but just jog past, gave each other a tap on the bum stuff. Runs to the win. Yeah, exactly right. There is so much time in an Iron Man for anything to happen. Yeah. Eight hours. Yeah. This whole school day, literally.
00;24;30;07 - 00;24;51;15
Speaker 1
There's a whole school. There's so many chores that you can do in that time. All right, now we've got the men and women back together. Yep. I think we'll go through some of the ones to watch, but also the Olympians that have transitioned to the long course realm and a racing in Conor like, because it's not even easy just to qualify for Kona.
00;24;51;16 - 00;25;12;12
Speaker 1
No, because someone like a yellow two times 70.3. Okay. He just couldn't stick it this year, which is nuts. Like to get a world slot. Yeah. So it's it's brutal to even get their lead lone race and win this race. So from Norway we have Christian Bloomfield Gustaf Eden. Yep. You did also have the defending champ Casper Stoner's.
00;25;12;13 - 00;25;40;16
Speaker 1
Yeah. Crashed out the week before or a week ago. Yeah. He's also been to an Olympics as Casper I think so. Oh, I believe so. Yeah, I think they got three at Tokyo. They would have. They were dominant that time. Yeah. So and they have Jonas Schomberg Kristen Hogan hug. He went to 2020. Both of them Martin van real for for the Olympics France Vincent Louis Pierre liquor.
00;25;40;23 - 00;26;04;29
Speaker 1
Yeah. Yona Schomberg, Andreas Savage Berg and Jamie Riddle. That's on the men's side. That's a very solid WTS race that is right there on the women's. I mean, you've literally got some of the best guys to ever come through the WTC s ever. Exactly. Yeah. It's crazy. On the women's, it's a little bit lighter. I feel as if the women don't transition as much.
00;26;05;00 - 00;26;28;04
Speaker 1
I feel as if yeah, it's it's a weird one. It's different to the men's. The transition from short course to long course. Not too many keep going. I think, which is interesting, but maybe we'll see change because there's a fair few Olympians as well. In the women's field, you have Taylor Knibb, Julie Darren, Lisa Perrotta and Pamela Oliveira.
00;26;28;07 - 00;26;49;27
Speaker 1
So you have four Olympics Olympians. Yeah, racing in the women's. It is insane to be able to have that kind of the spread. Yeah. Like that. That is insane I, I don't. Do you ever. Is that something that like, stands out to you. Oh I don't think I could do the training to go. I've just seen some of the sessions.
00;26;49;27 - 00;27;12;04
Speaker 1
I mean, one of our, like, if you have to try and compete with 40 K. Yeah. At 330 pace. Yeah. We can't do that and run a podcast at the same time. No that's true. You kidding? Too many hours. I've even seen some of the stuff like that since one of the Aussies. Yeah, I saw a session the other day and like, I wasn't it like six by 3 or 6 by two keys.
00;27;12;04 - 00;27;39;12
Speaker 1
He did, I think it was or six, three, six, five. That is just disgusting. Yeah we do six by one K. Yeah, exactly. Sure. Course guys give me six by one. I'm I'm out of there. Like, that is just I, I don't have the time or patience. Yes. Just a long day. It's a full, full commitment like. But I don't know how you go from let's get, let's say, your first Ironman where you can't fully live off the sport or whatever to going.
00;27;39;14 - 00;28;00;26
Speaker 1
Yep. Because you need to be all in. That's like a 30 plus our training week. Yeah. To be able to even do one of these Iron Man's it's. Yeah. I don't know looking at the depth like looking at the start no interest. Yeah. Looking at the start list as well. The depth is just incredible. Yeah. Like you have to just be so on point to be able to compete at this level.
00;28;00;28 - 00;28;16;17
Speaker 1
Yeah I mean it's it's obviously like the short course as well. You just have to do five times the amount of training. No that's not for me. Yeah. Not for me. Not at all. I have no desire. Do you have any desire to do it on it? No, I literally don't. I might do one just to get the, I mean tattoo.
00;28;16;19 - 00;28;35;27
Speaker 1
Yeah. Just where are you going to put it. I'll run out a spot. No. Not really. Like. No, I do have the desire to do one. Yeah. I just really hope I don't get the itch. And once you've done one, you're like, I don't think you do. I don't think you're a bit too sure. Yeah, I'm sure, of course I can't sit on the bike for eight hours.
00;28;35;27 - 00;29;01;18
Speaker 1
No. See, I don't see that as any fun. That's no fun. Like. But then you also say in the men's, you also have the big hitters like Sam Lay Low, Patrick Lang, Nick Thompson, like, just proper long course guys, bank and nuts. Also an Olympian. We forgot about him. Yeah. It's it's it's insane. Cam worth. He's an Olympian as well in rowing.
00;29;01;20 - 00;29;29;23
Speaker 1
Yeah. Didn't you know that? I had no idea cam worth went to 08004 maybe. I thought he's a guy. Not done. Yeah. Road rode for Australia. Wow. Didn't you know that? No. Well, yeah. And then rode in the tour de France. Wrote in two different. Raced a World Cup, WTC OWA World Cup. Yeah. World Cup race. Yep. Did he ever go to pay for Iraq?
00;29;29;24 - 00;29;52;03
Speaker 1
Yeah. Yes he did. Yeah. John pays another one. There you are. Chat charity has me very good with finding my Olympians on this list. Yeah, it's it's insane. I mean, we don't really have the knowledge to go into how good the field is and what's going to happen with the field. I feel like we know enough to be able to go, like, look, the depth of this is pretty insane.
00;29;52;03 - 00;30;17;27
Speaker 1
Just from like, big names that we've seen. Yeah. In the women's Solveig log, I think she went to an Olympics. Did she go for bloody kitesurfing? No, no, she didn't try on, I believe, 2020. Lucy Charles Barkley, of course. Taylor Knibb, Lottie wilms, Paula Findlay. I'm not sure if she ever went to an Olympics.
00;30;18;00 - 00;30;47;01
Speaker 1
Julie. Darren. We know, Olympic medalist. Yep. And then I think that's about it. It's going to be super Simmons. She's also been very good. We're gonna see the, We're gonna see. I mean, obviously, all eyes were on the list. Charles Barkley and Taylor Knibb battle last year, but, I mean, you kind of got other people throwing their name, like, after last year, you kind of got to have other people throwing their hat, right?
00;30;47;02 - 00;31;10;18
Speaker 1
You just can't you. You can't go. Yeah. It's a certainty between these two. The men's are the same. I mean, obviously all the hype right now is on the Norwegians, the Norwegians. But just looking at the start list, you know, who's to say Martin Van Real, Sam Laidlaw, I mean, Patrick Lang, a dark horse like Nick Thompson, honestly, cam, main cam and race his first Ironman Busselton last year and won it.
00;31;10;19 - 00;31;33;02
Speaker 1
Yeah. Exactly. Like there's so many there's so many people. It's it's. Yeah it's crazy. I don't think we can reiterate that enough. I think it'll be more like a, like we saw in NE 70.3 worlds where it looks like a short course dynamic. Yeah, it's just longer. Yeah. I think that's the way it's going. More and more and more.
00;31;33;04 - 00;31;55;04
Speaker 1
Yeah. Long course used to be. Oh, yeah. First step to retirement. Yeah. But like I mean I still say that, but. Yeah, but these guys are guys and girls have bona fide. They've done the short course. They've been in the national performance systems and they're just doing it for longer. Yeah. It's it's crazy where the sports come to.
00;31;55;06 - 00;32;21;26
Speaker 1
Well give me your give me your men's American men's pick up. Who's on who's winning. It's hard to go pass on like a Christian Blumenfeld. What he did in, Niece running a 105 half marathon. Yeah. It's it's hard to go past. I hope he has a good day. And I hope he doesn't just burn his matches and capitulate.
00;32;21;29 - 00;32;47;09
Speaker 1
I think people who people aren't talking about him enough is Sam laid low. I thought the same as well. I think Sam Laidlaw has gone under the radar. Yeah. I don't know why. Maybe there's. He's been quiet on socials. Maybe he's got a little niggle. I'm not do not have a clue. So I'm going. Sam lay low in second because he's a dog, his dog, he can ride a bike and he swims incredibly well.
00;32;47;09 - 00;33;08;19
Speaker 1
So I think there'll be a little bit of a front pack trying to get away. And then I'm going, someone that has to have a good run. Like I think someone, someone that's going to surprise. It's so hard to go past the good stuff, you know? Yeah.
00;33;08;21 - 00;33;27;11
Speaker 1
You know who I might go with? Patrick Lang. Okay. He he was. He'll run up to a third. I think a few of them will just get get sucked away with racing. I think he'll swim in a decent position and just sit in on the bike. Everyone will be pissed off at Patrick Lane because he doesn't pull a turn.
00;33;27;17 - 00;33;46;16
Speaker 1
And fair enough. They're still at 20m, so he's still doing his own work, but he's going to be a pack rat, as they like to say. I reckon Patrick Lang will get back on the podium. It's also someone that I think this kind of course, or this kind of race favors experience as well. I mean, like, he's he's been doing this for so long.
00;33;46;17 - 00;34;05;27
Speaker 1
Yeah. Former champion like he's small. He's he's small. And I think that actually benefits at Kona where it's so hot. Like he can just like, you know, he's not working at a metabolically higher rate than these other big boys. Well, it's going to be interesting seeing Christian Blumenfeld. I mean like. Yeah, that's why I don't think he's succeeded.
00;34;05;28 - 00;34;25;10
Speaker 1
Yeah. Even though he isn't like a, a big guy, he's actually not a big guy. He's very short, but he's dense. He's dense, which is okay. He makes it work. Hey, he's a he's done at all. He's done it all. He's done. That's my picks. Who are you going? I'm off the cuff. Off the cuff. I'm going to back a Martin van.
00;34;25;10 - 00;34;36;05
Speaker 1
Real. Oh, he didn't have a great race in. Nice, nice. I think he's. I'm hope.
00;34;36;07 - 00;34;53;19
Speaker 1
Yeah, I'm gonna stick with it. I just think he is one of those all round athletes that will be at the pointy end all day. And I'm just backing the fact that I think he's been in the long course scene long enough now, transitioned long enough that, yeah, I think this is this is a race where he could win.
00;34;53;19 - 00;35;09;13
Speaker 1
I think he's a lot of his eggs have been in this basket as well. I think a lot of these boys have gone. Yeah, niece's a priority, but Conor's the one. Yeah. I think a lot of these guys were thinking Conor was the one. So I'm going to go Martin van Real. I'm then going to go Christian Blumenfeld.
00;35;09;15 - 00;35;17;11
Speaker 1
Oh, and I'm, I'm going to go like a.
00;35;17;14 - 00;35;40;25
Speaker 1
Dark horse. Same long, same long. No way. Which is like, that is someone that I'm not. Someone that I was I was I was thinking between a Sam Long or a Jason West. Nah. Someone that's just going to have a big run in the back end that shows you a knowledge of mate Conor. Conor Ball. Well, maybe, but hey, you can't.
00;35;40;28 - 00;36;09;02
Speaker 1
Or okay, I would love to be corrected. I'd love to be corrected. But those boys are nowhere near. They just they won't be able to swim with the pack and they'll just be dropped. The pack will go, but like, there's. They're not running a 230 marathon. Marathon? Yeah. There's just. You can't tell me that a a Jonah Schomberg, a Jamie Riddell, can mean some of those like younger not as experienced guys aren't just going to go absolutely ballistic.
00;36;09;03 - 00;36;29;08
Speaker 1
I think they going to probably blow up like Chris McCormack back in the day when he raised his first again. That's one I know from reading his book. But being a young, dumb, naive kid racing and Conor and just blowing to the wall and then just someone like a Sam Long who's got the experience just chipping him off one by one.
00;36;29;10 - 00;36;55;01
Speaker 1
Maybe. Maybe. But I don't think someone like Sam Long is going to be the guy. That's that's my my you know, he obviously like a bank note. I agree, someone like a Rudy Van Berg. Yes, but I don't think it's Sam Long. I don't know, I think like Samsung's run like, I mean it's someone like a Patrick Lang who could just get dropped from the bike, like, see, see if you had that argument for Patrick Lang I think.
00;36;55;02 - 00;37;15;21
Speaker 1
Fair enough. See like because Patrick Lang 100% can't. Yes. He can run. Can't ride. Yeah. But he was just sit in. Who. Just sit in I don't know 180 days a long way to just sit in. But I reckon you get dropped with about 40 to 60 K to go and then just pick them off, lose about three minutes in that last 46 K and just pick them off.
00;37;15;21 - 00;37;30;10
Speaker 1
I know who I just said is going to be like, he might be one of those young guys that just goes out and blows up, but a dark horse for me is going to be a can main. Yeah, yeah. Cam, the only thing is he's a Brit in the in the Hawaiian heat. That's tough. That is a tough one.
00;37;30;16 - 00;37;53;19
Speaker 1
Tough one for them to, Okay. Into the women's. Okay. This is also really tough because I feel as if you have your two hot favorites, which the heights round a Taylor nib and a Lucy Charles Barkley. But what happened last year? Really? They just they just capitulated. You think it's going to happen again? I don't know, I'm not too sure.
00;37;53;22 - 00;38;17;11
Speaker 1
I don't know whether because Lucy didn't race niece. So that's interesting. Yeah. Why didn't she race niece injured. Surely her. She's her in this basket. Yeah. That's why I'm thinking. I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go, Lucy. For. For the win. I just don't like going the same as you, Lucy. For the win. Then I'm gonna. I'm going to go a.
00;38;17;13 - 00;38;21;05
Speaker 1
Where is she?
00;38;21;07 - 00;38;40;27
Speaker 1
Julie? Darren in second. Yeah, I think I think someone like a Taylor nib. She's going to get the wobbles again. You're. Well, I don't know. I just feel it. I feel as if she's race too many weeks back to back to back. Yeah. Trace Neeson she race cycling world champs. And then she's had a week in Kona and then she's racing.
00;38;40;29 - 00;39;02;23
Speaker 1
I think that's just a bit too much. Okay, so I want the people who have put all that eggs in. But I think Julie Darren, she's recovered after nice and she had a killer run there loses Charles Barkley Julie Darren. And then I'm going I need a veteran here. Laura. Philip. Yeah. Laura Philip to just run with it as well.
00;39;02;23 - 00;39;18;28
Speaker 1
I think it's you. You'll have Lucy and, Taylor nearby off the front, and then it'll be kind of like a run battle between the next two. But I think Taylor's gonna fall off. That's a hot take. Go on.
00;39;19;00 - 00;39;27;27
Speaker 1
I wanted to say. I wanted to say Lucy as well, because I just think it seems like she has gone all in on this.
00;39;27;29 - 00;39;42;13
Speaker 1
Now I'm gonna go. Julie. Darren. Julie to run for the win. Okay, Julie, I have, like, run is just next level. Yeah, like, I think it's just next level. I'm going to go. Julie. Darren. Lucy Charles Barkley.
00;39;42;15 - 00;40;02;00
Speaker 1
I don't know cat Matthews. Cat Matthews yeah I like Cat Matthews yeah yeah she's solid. Yeah I just think she's she's also you know what it is. It's also like her personality around racing. Like just like she just loves it. She just loves racing. Just hungry. Like I just think she's going to be one of those ones. That's probably with the Julie Darren like just running him down.
00;40;02;01 - 00;40;23;21
Speaker 1
Yeah. So yeah she might. She just won't quite get Lucy. She'll be too far off the front. But there you are. That's my three. That's the picks. Dark horse in the, in the women's, Chelsea Cerrado or Daisy Davis. Yeah. I was thinking about. Yeah. Daisy Davis looks all right. But Chelsea Serrano's had a slump in the last couple of years.
00;40;23;22 - 00;40;39;22
Speaker 1
She has won one. But I think that was like a one hit wonder. So I kind of hope that she's a bit of a dark horse. Just pull the finale count as a dark horse. Oh, yes. She's been around for so long as well. Yeah, yeah. So that's where it's like but like kind of like semi form slumped.
00;40;39;23 - 00;41;01;27
Speaker 1
Yeah. It's it's interesting. It's it's not one that you would really expect to be a a dark horse. But. Yeah. So that's how she is or in Imogen Simmons Imogen Simmons. That was probably going to be my next one. Yeah. That's another big one. So yeah. Take it or leave it. That's our opinions on Conor. We're not the experts.
00;41;01;29 - 00;41;22;09
Speaker 1
Don't watch every race. What's the, What's the time zone for us? What's the, it's like, starts at like, 5 a.m. and runs all day to about two. So. Yeah, 5 a.m.. Awesome. That's perfect. Yeah, it's not bad. It's actually a decent time to watch. Oh, awesome. Because they start early. It runs all day. So. Yeah. Okay.
00;41;22;14 - 00;41;40;23
Speaker 1
I think you got to get up a bit early to watch the swim. Yeah I mean I can jump in halfway through the swim. Yeah. Exactly. Literally. It's one of those watch the swim exit. Yeah. The start of the bike for about 1015 K. Leave it. Come back in. It's like test cricket. Yeah. It come back in around.
00;41;40;23 - 00;42;00;14
Speaker 1
Like maybe that's why I don't like I mean, I don't like test cricket. It's too long jumping around 90 K of the bike then jump in again with the last ten K of the bike into transition onto the run. First three of the run, jump back in again around half marathon time, see who's moved around, or then jump in for the last five K 510 k.
00;42;00;15 - 00;42;15;11
Speaker 1
Or do you think a Kona is the one where you have to watch the whole run? Because you can miss it? You can miss. You can miss a lot. You know what it is I'm doing a lot of I'm booting a lot of flat packs at the moment. So just beyond the ponies, just on in the background, like test cricket?
00;42;15;12 - 00;42;30;21
Speaker 1
Yes. I don't know why. Test cricket. Yeah, just be one of those ones. It's on the screen the whole day, and I'm not really paying attention until I hear a commentator like, oh, it's hard to make an eight hour race. Who is on the commentary? I think Crowe is in there. I think McCoy's got the gig now. Yeah, we're fine man.
00;42;30;22 - 00;42;51;17
Speaker 1
God, he's going to have he's a great commentator. Ever saw throat after that because he gets so up and about eight hours. That's a test for him. Yeah. Anyway, that's our Conor recap. We're not the experts, but we have an opinion like the rest of you. Yeah, and we're going to give it. Yeah. There was a bit of racing as well over the weekend.
00;42;51;17 - 00;43;07;27
Speaker 1
We talked about last week, Rome World Cup. Unfortunately, a few of the big names that we thought were going to be in it pulled out. You know, that was fair enough. Yeah. I mean, again, Vasco Velasco just became world champion, so I don't think he cared too much. But Miguel Hidalgo also pulled off. So few of those top end names were were missing.
00;43;08;02 - 00;43;27;10
Speaker 1
Yeah, I was it was it was an Alex a dominance, wasn't it? Yeah. The only thing that I. The only thing that I don't like about some of these World Cup races, and it's probably like the kind of racing that I don't like in general is when somebody comes out of the water 50s down and they still come off the bike in the front pack.
00;43;27;12 - 00;43;51;27
Speaker 1
I understand when you know, you have your critics who are all in on the long course stuff, criticize short course triathlon for that. Just being a roll around. Yeah. I don't like I, I do I, you know when I'm looking back obviously I wasn't up and I didn't watch it live. But when I am looking back at the results and I'm like, how did that person, you know, come in the top ten when they were 50s down out of the water?
00;43;51;28 - 00;44;10;14
Speaker 1
Like, how does that work in a short course race? And Alex was a fair way down. He was 45 seconds, about 44 seconds. Kind of crazy. I mean, you had some freaky swimmers up the front there. Like you had your whole balls, you had your Michael cars. But like, I don't know in my opinion, I don't know if he gets himself back in the race.
00;44;10;14 - 00;44;28;11
Speaker 1
He gets himself back in the race that that's it. But triathlon short course does get a little bit boring and annoying. Maybe that's coming from like us who are probably who race it. Yeah. And you can relate to the frustration of yeah, a front pack, I guess, like doing nothing. Kind of our goal is to be in a swim bike breakaway.
00;44;28;13 - 00;44;49;02
Speaker 1
We want to keep the Alex's at bay. It is frustrating saying that. So we did see it. But again Alex, he is the he's the Olympic champion and he looks like he is well and truly back. I think he'll be scary next year. Yeah. So Alex here for the man Martin Hübner and Tristan Douche. We didn't really mention those two.
00;44;49;04 - 00;45;06;03
Speaker 1
No, but Tristan Douche was the junior world champion at Wollongong last year. Yes. So that's massive. First, I think that's his first World Cup podium. Yeah. That's a that was a big race from him. Yeah. And then in the women he had Diana it's a covert Tilda manson and Taylor Spivey. Great to see Taylor Spider in the podium.
00;45;06;03 - 00;45;23;29
Speaker 1
Yeah, that's always great, isn't it? Is it covers one about four World Cups now. Crazy that you can just do it on a World Cup stage, but then World Series quite. Get there. Translate. No, I mean she's had a lot of top tens, which. Yeah, that might be just due to the fact of I don't think her swims best.
00;45;24;02 - 00;45;44;08
Speaker 1
And she does rely on like as we said, that kind of standard of the bike catching. Yeah. And then yeah, she is probably one of the best in form over five K as well. I think she's better over five than ten. Yeah. We then had the mixed team relay on the day after, and my god, did the Brits just absolutely bring out that a team?
00;45;44;09 - 00;46;04;17
Speaker 1
Yeah. Like you had live Matthias. Kind of Bentley. Kate. Alex. Well it's actually getting really important now those you to be honest, you can't stuff around with your mixed team relay teams anymore. Well, because the you need your world ranking to be high. I don't know what the mixed team relay world ranking looks like at the moment.
00;46;04;17 - 00;46;28;23
Speaker 1
I know we were we were on top it last and last year. Well, yeah because world champions. But now you're qualifying for LA. Aussies definitely didn't have that in. We definitely didn't have a team in there. You know we got 11th which obviously that's not where we want. But I mean when you're racing the Brits who are the I don't really know another guy.
00;46;28;25 - 00;46;47;07
Speaker 1
They might be replacing like a kind of Bentley for a max staple, but then even then kind of Bentley is arguably better. Yeah, that's that's pretty much their top, I mean, but they have such depth at that top. The British like Beth Potter, George Taylor Brown could those to have replaced. But then Kate Waffen lived Matthias just nothing to sneeze out.
00;46;47;08 - 00;47;06;05
Speaker 1
So yeah, it is getting to that point where you need to be putting your best foot forward. I think next year we'll see with the relays that they'll be they'll be the headers. Yeah, they'll be a very good mixed team relay team all year round because you don't want to risk. Yeah. You know losing out on a mixed team relay.
00;47;06;05 - 00;47;30;03
Speaker 1
And like you said it looks very unlikely for those main countries like you know Great Britain haven't auto qualified. Who won this year. France. France okay. So they've qualified. But like Portugal, Italy, Germany, Hungary, even like we know that they've got a good mixed team relay, Spain in Australia. But then again like 11th. Yeah. Like we need to.
00;47;30;04 - 00;47;53;22
Speaker 1
I'm pretty sure auto I based off ranking is top eight. Oh, there you are. So in this race. But then obviously I mean France for the world title winners and they got ninth. So so World Cup is completely different. Yeah yeah yeah. But it still counts towards the points of the nation. So I think you're going to see next year a lot of the federations put in their specific best teams.
00;47;53;23 - 00;48;12;23
Speaker 1
Yeah. That's pretty much a wrap of triathlon over the week that is racing. That is racing. We are super excited for Kona again. This is probably the only long course race that I get super excited for. Yeah. But it'd be cool. It would be cool. And we will be back next week to give our thoughts and views.
00;48;13;00 - 00;48;34;09
Speaker 1
Yes. Exactly. Right. And I think, back to more World Cup racing. Oh, we got plenty in the back. There's a lot of shortcuts racing coming out. And we've got one more World Series to go with Abu Dhabi being put on in November, so we've got plenty to go. Yeah. Exactly right. Thank you very much for listening. Once again, this is the unfunded podcast with your host Lachlan Enlighten, and we will see you next week.
00;48;34;12 - 00;48;35;08
Speaker 1
Bye. Good show.